Having escaped to the south coast of Sicily to recover from a broken heart, Sarah is immediately drawn to charming and mysterious Alex. He too is looking for a fresh start after the end of his marriage, and Sarah can’t resist Alex’s offer of a new life together.

But when Sarah joins Alex in a tiny Somerset village, something doesn’t add up. Alex’s beautiful wife Genevieve was adored by all who knew her. And by all accounts, she and Alex had a successful marriage complete with a gorgeous son, Jamie. Why would Genevieve walk out on her perfect life? And why has no one heard from her since she did so?

Genevieve’s family and friends think that Alex knows more about her disappearance than he’s letting on. But Sarah’s fallen in love and just knows Alex couldn’t have anything to hide. Or could he?

The unmissable Richard & Judy pick from the bestselling author ofThe House by the Sea. Perfect for fans of Barbara O'Neal, Lucinda Riley and Rachel Hore.

Praise for Louise Douglas

‘Louise Douglas achieves the impossible and gets better with every book.’ Milly Johnson

‘A brilliantly written, gripping, clever, compelling story, that I struggled to put down. The vivid descriptions, the evocative plot and the intrigue that Louise created, which had me constantly asking questions, made it a highly enjoyable, absolute treasure of a read.’ Kim Nash on The Scarlet Dress

‘Another stunning read from the exceptionally talented Louise Douglas! I love the way in which Louise creates such an atmospheric mystery, building the intrigue and suspense brick by brick. Her writing is always beautiful and multi-layered, her characters warm and relatable and the intriguing nature of the mystery makes this unputdownable.’ Nicola Cornick on The Scarlet Dress

‘A tender, heart-breaking, page-turning read'Rachel Hore on The House by the Sea

'The perfect combination of page-turning thriller and deeply emotional family story. Superb’ Nicola Cornick on The House by the Sea

‘Kept me guessing until the last few pages and the explosive ending took my breath away.’ C.L. Taylor, author of The Accident on Your Beautiful Lies

‘Beautifully written, chillingly atmospheric and utterly compelling, The Secret by the Lake is Louise Douglas at her brilliant best’ Tammy Cohen, author of The Broken

‘A master of her craft, Louise Douglas ratchets up the tension in this haunting and exquisitely written tale of buried secrets and past tragedy.’ Amanda Jennings, author of Sworn Secret

‘A clammy, atmospheric and suspenseful novel, it builds in tension all the way through to the startling final pages.’ Sunday Express, S Magazine

‘A chilling, unputdownable new novel from the bestselling author of The House By The Sea.

'A brilliantly written, gripping, clever, compelling story, that I struggled to put down.